Boys with body tattoos cannot join Indian Army any more'
Wed Dec 07 2011
Young boys with tattoos on their bodies may not get an entry into the Indian Army any more as the Defence Ministry has banned their recruitment as soldiers into the defence forces.
Pointing out that a circular in this regard has come last month, Deputy Director General Recruiting for Punjab and Jammu Kashmir, Brigadier Vinod Raizada, said that youth with tattoos anywhere over their body except hands cannot be recruited. The circular has come in view of certain diseases connected with tattoos, he said, adding that those having engraved such marks on their hands, however, would be first sent to the doctor for blood test. It will be after their clearance by the doctor, they will be considered for recruitment, he added.
To a question, he said that nearly 30 per cent of the youth turning up at recruitment rallies carried tattoos on their body or hands. Such youth were mainly coming from Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, he pointed out.
Brigadier Raizada had come to Akhnoor in connection with open recruitment rally for five districts of Jammu region – Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch, beginning December 4. The first phase of rally will be completed tomorrow. The rally was also opened for candidates from all the districts of the state for soldier technical, soldier clerk/storekeeper and soldier nursing categories.
Pointing out that response to soldier technical category had been poor from Jammu region, he said that recruitment to this category will now be held at state level and not confined to districts. The candidates having passed 12th class examination in physics, chemistry and mathematics and who are in the age group between 17.6 - 23 years as on the date of screening are eligible, he added.
However, the response to Army's recruitment rallies was increasing in districts like Kupwars and other border areas, he pointed out.
Nearly 15,000 youth turned up at the recruitment rally despite inclement weather conditions, an officiating defence ministry spokesman S N Acharya said, adding that another 5,000 to 7,000 are expected to come tomorrow. ends
'Boys with body tattoos cannot join Indian Army any more' - Indian Express